Essential amino acids, in particular, branched-chain amino acids or BCAA, have become some of the most widely used sports and bodybuilding supplements in recent years.
These amino acid supplements are most commonly used around workouts to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and offset the potentially catabolic effects of intense training.
Although many people swear by the benefits of BCAA supplements, we are going to look at what the research has to say on the matter.

Yoga and Pilates are the two most popular types of mind-body exercise classes not just in the United States but also here in the Philippines. People are always asking me which of the two they should take. My standard answer is both.

Fitness instructors can be a great motivational help in achieving your fitness goals because of their knowledge in creating safe and effective exercise programs. But how do you choose the right one for you?

Two months ago, as I was walking down the famous white sand beach of Boracay, I played a little game to pass the time. From behind the anonymity of my sunglasses, I was categorizing every person that I saw into three basic body types. The reason I was playing the body type game was because someone had recently asked me why he wasn't getting the same results as his friend who had started lifting weights at the same time. One of the answers I gave him was that he did not have the same body type as his friend.

I hear some statements quite often. "You need to do aerobics for twenty minutes to start burning fat. Before that, you are only burning sugar." "Walking is better than running because walking burns fat, running does not."

I regularly get asked how it is possible to gain weight in spite of a regular workout schedule. The person asking is usually on the verge of giving up exercise because he or she is frustrated at having nothing to show for hours spent toiling at the gym. I don’t blame them for feeling that way but quitting is not the answer because exercise has many more benefits besides weight loss.

In reaction to last week’s column on whether the calories burned while using cardiovascular machines like treadmills and steppers are accurate, a reader wanted to know how many calories are burned while doing aerobic classes. This is an important question since many women (and some men) do aerobics as a way of controlling their weight. Most of us don’t have the time to spend hours in the gym so it is to our benefit that we make our aerobic classes as time- and calorie-efficient as possible to get more value out of them.

Senator Pia Cayetano is, hands down, the fittest lawmaker in the country. She literally walks, cycles, and swims the talk of fitness. No surprise then that as chairperson of the Companero Rene Cayetano Foundation, she has chosen to launch the Pinay in Action program in celebration of Women’s Month.

Please write a brief intro here.Rumor has it that fitness buff, Madonna, would climb stairs (50 flights according to one unconfirmed report!) when she would be on tour and would not be able to do her usual workout. Athletes have a similar workout. They use sports stadium bleacher stairs to improve muscular endurance in the legs and increase cardiovascular stamina. Stair climbing is a legitimate form of exercise that has been mimicked by various fitness equipment companies who have invented mechanical and electronic "stairclimbers and steppers".

In case you haven't noticed, badminton has made a comeback in a major way. Once just another amenity being offered at sports clubs and country clubs, badminton is now being played in multiple courts (in some places as many as twelve courts) in converted warehouses in the most unlikely places.

Sumo wrestlers are, hands down, the world's foremost experts at gaining weight. True, there are many other people who are obese but rarely do they gain weight on purpose. In fact, many of them are constantly trying to lose weight. Sumo wrestlers are different.

Can the body change shape when an individual loses weight? This is what Thomas Wadden, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Health and Behavior at Syracuse University, wanted to find out when he kept track of the body measurements of overweight women as they lost weight. He discovered that it depends on whether you are an apple or a pear.

If only the benefits of exercise were like money earning interest in the bank. It’s a sad but true fact that to maintain your hard-earned workout results, you have to stay fit by continuing to exercise regularly.